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Bike To Work Day set Friday |
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Tuesday, 13 May 2008 |
By KELLY DANIELS
Starkville Daily News
Safety, awareness and acceptance – that's what local cyclists want to promote during Starkville's annual Bike to Work Day on Friday.
As part of observing the recently proclaimed National Bike Month for the City of Starkville, bike riders will gather Friday at 7:30 a.m. for a group ride beginning at First United Methodist Church. Cyclists will ride down Main Street to University Drive to the Colvard Student Union.
Helmets are required.
The ride is organized by the local groups Starkville in Motion, Bullldawg Cycling and the Central Starkville Neighborhood Foundation.
President and co-founder of of Starkville in Motion Dr. Devon Brenner says that awareness of pedestrians and riders is important now that more people are getting around without cars.
"I think this is to raise awareness of the number of people who already commute to and from work on their bicycles and to raise broader awareness of the importance of bike safety," said Brenner. "Riders don't feel safe on the road, and they have experiences with cars that pass too close to them or with people shouting obscenities as they drive by."
While biking or walking to work may seem less convenient than driving an automobile, Brenner says that global warming is much less convenient.
"There are many people passionate about riding their bikes to work, but there's just not sufficient infrastructure to keep it safe," said Brenner.
The associate professor of curriculum, instruction and special education at MSU says that what is needed are improvements on infrastructure and attitudes.
Starkville in Motion's mission is to improve the city's infrastructure so that it has more bike lanes and shoulders.
"We are equally committed to both walking and pedestrian traffic," said Brenner whose next goal is working to finish the sidewalks on University Drive, connecting the existing ones to campus.
This day of safety awareness will come after a recent accident when a cyclist was hit by an oncoming motorist.
Starkville in Motion enthusiast Molly Hartzog, who was hit while riding her bike on April 7, says she will invest in a reflector yellow jacket to wear when biking.
Recovering at home, the sophomore English major from Byram has suffered from a cut mouth, a cut tongue, the loss of five teeth, a small brain hemorrhage and a jaw so cracked it was nearly broken.
Hartzog's bike was broken in half upon impact.
While she has to undergo plastic surgery in the future, it took four hours to stitch her face.
"I don't really remember anything," said Hartzog. "I just have a vague image of a car turning in front of me." At the corner of Lynn Lane and Helen Circle, Hartzog was thrown onto the hood of the oncoming car onto the street.
Hartzog says that increased education will prevent instances such as these.
"People need to know that we follow all the same rules and have the same responsibility as cars do," she said.
Section 63-3-9 of the Mississippi Code states that provisions for those riding a bicycles on the road should be taught in the eighth grade of all public schools and that these provisions should be carried out by the state superintendent of public education and each county superintendent.
""I find it quite disturbing that the provisions of this chapter that relate to bicyclists' rights are not taught in the driver education program, even though it is required by law," said Ryan Stroment, who was riding with Hartzog during her accident.
Hartzog will begin biking again when school starts.
For more information, call Michelle Jones at 325-2520 or visit www.starkvilleinmotion.org.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 14 May 2008 )
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